Join The Collection to save, track, and explore works like this.

Arshile Gorky — Untitled
Arshile Gorky

Untitled

1930

This abstract composition presents a fragmented, cubist inspired figure rendered in muted earth tones and cream against a neutral ground. The work employs geometric shapes and linear elements to suggest a profile or frontal view of a head, with carefully delineated planes in browns, whites, and blacks. A striking red accent interrupts the restrained palette, drawing the viewer's eye to what may represent a mouth or sculptural element. The painting demonstrates the artist's characteristic vocabulary of biomorphic forms and architectural linearity, creating an ambiguous psychological presence. The layered, constructed quality of the image suggests both modernist sculpture and the unconscious explorations of surrealist practice.

Medium
oil on linen30 in by 23 ⅜ in.
Overall
Location
Sotheby's, New York, NY

Notes

Contemporary Day Auction, Sotheby's, sale on 2026-05-15.

🔨 Auction Lot

Contemporary Day Auction

May 15, 2026

Estimate: $800,000 to $1,200,000

Start the Discussion

Request access to join the discussion

About this work

Arshile Gorky, Untitled, 1930

This abstract composition presents a fragmented, cubist inspired figure rendered in muted earth tones and cream against a neutral ground. The work employs geometric shapes and linear elements to suggest a profile or frontal view of a head, with carefully delineated planes in browns, whites, and blacks. A striking red accent interrupts the restrained palette, drawing the viewer's eye to what may represent a mouth or sculptural element. The painting demonstrates the artist's characteristic vocabulary of biomorphic forms and architectural linearity, creating an ambiguous psychological presence. The layered, constructed quality of the image suggests both modernist sculpture and the unconscious explorations of surrealist practice.

Medium
oil on linen30 in by 23 ⅜ in.
Dimensions
overall: 76.2 x 59.4 cm
Year
1930
Seen at
Sotheby's, New York, London, Hong Kong, Paris

Related themes

Psychological Presence, Abstract Cubism, Architectural Elements, Early Modernism, Geometric Abstraction, Neutral Palette, Surrealist Influence, Biomorphic Forms, Figure Deconstruction, Portrait Study

More works by Arshile Gorky